Sustainable crop export strategies to enhance EU market access for Pakistani producers

Abstract

This thesis was written to explore the difficulties that Pakistani crop exporters face in complying with sustainability rules when trying to be competitive in the EU agricultural market. Stricter environmental requirements, introduced by the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, have made it more difficult for developing countries to meet standards such as traceability, pesticide residue limits, and organic certification. The study aimed to assess Pakistan’s current situation and progress in relation to these evolving benchmarks. Secondary data was reviewed, policy documents were analysed, and a comparative approach was applied using Turkey and Morocco as reference points. These countries were selected because they have shown measurable improvement in aligning with EU standards and increasing agri-food ex-ports, despite starting from a similar position. Four analytical frameworks guided the research: the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA), Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA), the Uppsala Internationalization Model, and Policy Transfer Theory. The study found that Pakistan faces challenges such as fragmented institutions, incomplete traceability systems, and limited uptake of certification standards. In contrast, Turkey and Morocco have benefited from targeted policy reforms. A series of recommendations was proposed for Pakistan, focusing on certification systems, policy harmonisation, and support for businesses in meeting compliance requirements.